The Ugly Duckling and the Foolish Prince
by MadHatterLilith
Summary: She was shy, never stood out, and always hid her true beauty by trying to ruin her appearance. He was an idol and one of the generation of Miracles. "I know it's impossible..." She said, mostly to herself. "Because the ugly duckling doesn't be belong with the prince." But he smiled, brushing the hair from her face. "Then, I guess I'm a really foolish prince." He whispered.
1. Chapter 1

**This girl, who's normal in about every way, catches the eye of a famous idol, Kise Ryouta. It turns out that she is a second year at his high school and he tries to start a friendship with her, unaware of her status as the ugly duckling and his as the school prince. How will this romance play out?**

**I own Nothing. Enjoy.**

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"Kise-kun," his brunette manager smiled, "school starts for you tomorrow, right? Are you excited?" The blond boy grinned.

"Yup! I can't wait! I hope I make a great new friend!" He almost sparkled with happiness and his manager laughed, thinking his childish behavior was adorable. "Or a really nice person to eat ice cream with at least..."

"What about a girlfriend?" She teased.

"Eh? I don't think I'll find someone like that." He replied, smiling a bit sadly, knowing that was the honest truth. Kise Ryouta was a young, famous model and all the girls he'd ever met, with just a few exceptions, liked him because his job and looks not just...him. That's what he really wanted. Someone like his old friends at Teiko who saw him for his real self.

"That's a shame!" She laughed. "A fine looking young man like you would easily be able to find a great girlfriend..." He blushed slightly but grinned."And she'd be a very lucky young girl!"

Instead of replying, Kise glanced out the car window. They were stopped at a red light and quite close to the street basketball court. But on the court there was a girl who caught his eye. Her long, pale pink hair went down a little past her waist, tied into two messy long braids. She was trying to reach something but wasn't tall enough.

_What's she trying to reach? _Kise wondered and looked up to the hoop. In the basket was a black bag and it looked as though someone had put it there to taunt the owner. _Is it her bag...? How mean..._

Before even giving it a second thought, he opened the car door, ignoring his manager's shouts of surprise. He closed the door after getting out of the car, giving her an apologetic grin before he jogged over to the pink haired girl who looked about ready to give up.

Her small shoulders were slumped and her head hung low, both signs of forfeit he'd seen before, countless times, from rival basket ball teams. She stared at her feet and when he got closer, he thought he might have heard her sigh softly.

"Hey!" He grinned. "Need some help?" He offered and she turned slowly to look at him...and his heart almost jumped out of his heart as it began to race faster than normal. _C-cute... _He thought, as the girl with the glasses locked eyes with him. She was barely average looking, honestly speaking, but something about her was simply adorable to him.

"Eh...?" Her cheeks flushed slightly, not like she liked him, but in a shy way, and she nodded silently. Her voice was soft and gentle, which reminded Kise of his light blue haired friend, but he liked it. Her glasses covered with dust and dirt so he could barely see her light gray eyes. Her pale skin was flushed and he realized how chilly it was outside.

And yet, she wore casual clothes, a light t-shirt and a pair of jeans. That was also when he realized that she wasn't wearing any shoes, her white socks getting dirty as she jumped to get her bag.

"Um," he suddenly found himself a bit flustered, " I mean, you seem to be trying to get something so I was just, you know, wondering if you needed some help cause, I mean.." She smiled slightly and pointed to the bag that was stuck in the hoop.

"I need my bag...I've been trying to get to it but...stores are closing soon." She sighed sadly. Her quiet voice sent his heart racing and heat flooded to his cheeks.

"I can get it for you!" He said quickly, the words a bit rushed. She smiled even more and he couldn't hold back a grin from looking at her now cheerful expression.

"Really? Thank you." Kise blushed even more and she sneezed. He quickly shrugged off his light jacket and put it over her shoulders, in an attempt to make her feel warmer.

"You're going to catch a cold!" He scolded her and she tried to shrink, surprised by his concern. Which was a sensible reaction, seeing as they'd only just met. "Now, where's your shoes? Are they with your bag?" She looked away, almost embarrassed.

"I...threw them." She muttered and pointed up to the trees. Kise bit down on his lip to keep from laughing when he saw where she was pointing. She had been so far from the target! While the goal, her target was right in front of her, the trees she did hit were far to her left. Seeing her both embarrassed and slightly ashamed expression, he couldn't help but gently pat her head, being careful not to be rough.

"Don't worry, I'll get them in time for you to do your shopping." He smiled and received a tiny but warm smile in return. She gave him another small nod and he squealed internally before he jumped up to the hoop like he was taking a shot.

While he was high enough, he grabbed her bag, wondering if he'd impressed her slightly by his jump. When his feet hit the ground, he found it hard to stay stable and fell back on his butt in a less than impressive manner. He felt heat rise to his face as she giggled softly before whispering a soft "Thank you." She took the bag when he offered it to her and started rushing off.

"Wait!" He yelled after her, "What's your name? And what about your shoes?!" She turned around for a moment and it almost seemed like she might reply, but instead she gave him a short, small bow of gratitude. "I'm Kise! Kise Ryouta! What's your name?!" But the reply never came...

And he felt like a moron for having not asked earlier since he thought he'd never meet a girl as cute as her ever again.

One part of his mind, the annoying, always romantic but honest part, thought, _There she goes...My dream girl..._


	2. Chapter 2

**This girl, who's normal in about every way, catches the eye of a famous idol, Kise Ryouta. It turns out that she is a second year at his high school and he tries to start a friendship with her, unaware of her status as the ugly duckling and his as the school prince. How will this romance play out?**

**Oh, and how old are Kise's sisters? Do they have names? I wanna mention them later but don't want to get everything wrong so if you know, please tell me. Thank you and sorry that my writing is so...blegh.**

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**I'll reply to reviews here instead of PM(I almost never reply to those). I was surprised it got so many so fast! You guys are awesome! **

**Reply to reviews:**

**lolitathegoddessorca860:**

Thank you for reviewing! I hope, if you continue to read the story, that you enjoy it. :)

**Guest:**

No worries, I will! I really wanna write something fluffy for once so I hope it remains cute! Thank you for reviewing!

**NeitherSaneNorInsane:**

Thank you for reviewing! And I really love your pen name! I'm glad you like it and I hope I can continue to make it cute and not have him go too OOC...

**invisible-gurl:**

I wasn't really sure what I'd do but this gave me the idea for this chapter. Thank you so much! I hope he stays that way without being too OOC. I hope you can continue to enjoy this fanfic!

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**I own nothing except my OC. Enjoy.**

**Sorry for the wait.**

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**(Kise's PoV)**

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I kept the shoes.

Yeah, I know, that's weird and all but I really hoped I'd see that girl again. When I brought them home, I got a lot of raised eyebrows from my family and I tried to explain it but when I commented on how the girl I thought was cute reminded me of Kurokochi, they got really weird ideas...

And I swear, I'm totally straight!

I guess my parents think that, even though girls like me, I'm not interested in them since I've never had a single girlfriend before. That seems to shock a lot of people...but its true. I've had crushes but I've never really found the girl who sees past my job and popularity and makes me feel like the normal, real Kise Ryouta, the one who loves all things cute and is passionate about lots of things, is the one that's important, not the Kise Ryouta created from public adoration and press...

_But, _I thought as I ate breakfast the next morning, _that girl didn't seem to know me. Maybe..._My face burned as I thought about her being my girlfriend one day but then I let out a sad sigh. I wasn't very likely to see her again and I knew it. _On a brighter note, _my mind added, _today's your first day of highschool! _My mood became cheery once more.

Exchanging glances and whispers as they watch me switch from mood to mood, my family seemed very confused and worried. But I was off in my own world so I didn't notice until I was done eating.

"Honey, what's wrong with R-" Mom whispered to Dad.

"It's a phase, dear. It'll pass..." He whispered back. "I hope..." He added under his breath.

"Thank you for the meal! It was really good, as alw-" I paused, suddenly aware of their stares. "What's wrong? Do I have rice on my face again?" I touched my lips and upper chin for an offending piece of food. Oddly, there didn't seem to be any. They shook thier heads slowly, making me all the more confused. If that wasn't it, why were they looking at me so strangely?

"It's...nothing, son. Have a good day..." My dad said, though he sounded like he was as confused as I was. I flashed my family a bright, almost sparkling, smile and nodded.

"You too!" I hummed a cheery tune to myself as I left, forgetting for a moment that I didn't have my jacket. But as soon as I felt the chilly air, I remembered. There had been a light rain in the middle of the night and it made the air a bit colder. Even in my long sleeved, buttoned up white shirt and uniform gray blazer, I was shivering just slightly. I wasn't good with the cold. At least, not when I wasn't A) bundled up, B) modeling with the warm light on me (Seriously, those lights are almost cozy when it's chilly outside!) or C) Playing basketball to keep myself warm.

But a smile came to my lips when I remembered why I didn't have my jacket. I gave it to her. Maybe she find me to return it, I'll give her the shoes, and I'll get her name, address, phone number, and become friends with her! Okay, maybe just her name...I sound like a creep. I sighed as I walked to school, the shoes in my bag, on the very unlikely chance I meet her on the way to school.

A girl glanced over her shoulder to look at me and I gave her a weak smile. She started to turn a bright red and whispered to her friend who did the same. It was only then that I realized I was in danger.

I was surrounded by fangirls.

I love my fans. I really do. Without them, I don't think I'd love my job as much as I do and their support is a really great and amazing thing. But sometimes, the more devoted fans can get dangerous; very dangerous. I was stalked once so being around fangirls can sometimes make me a bit freaked out. But I knew what I was getting into when I decided to continue my career in the performing arts so I just handled it calmly when one girl approached me with notebook in hand and eyes full of admiration.

"K-Kise-kun…" She spoke nervously, "W-would you mind signing this for m-me?" She started to blush even more when I smiled again, the smile even weaker than before.

"Normally," I started to say, trying to find a way that wouldn't hurt her feelings, "I'd be more than happy to but I'm not feeling to well today." I spoke carefully. "So, um, maybe I can do it tomorrow instead, if that's okay? I'm really very sorry."

She nodded and cheered, "Get well soon Kise-sam- I mean Kise-kun!" She got flustered by her slip up, obviously knowing about how I hated being addressed like I was someone more important than I really was.

"Thank you." I replied and patted her head kindly, trying to be friendly. "I really am sorry." Her face was getting so red, I was almost afraid she'd melt! That'd be a real problem! I wouldn't want to be the reason why she turned into a liquid! Her poor family!

The other girls watched the two of us carefully, and upon seeing how kindly I was treating her, they started to approach me, cheeks aflame and eyes focused on me as well. They all told me to "get better soon" or that "they hoped I was alright".

Even through all the noise I could still hear the guy, who passed by my swarm of fans, say, "The heck is with these girls?"

"It's probably some popular guy." Someone replied and I heard the first guy scoff.

"Whoever he is, this really makes me wanna kick him." I forgot! Guys don't usually like me, do they? They always say that I'm too popular with the girls or that the way I can copy moves in almost every sport annoys them…I became gloomy again at the thought of not making any friends.

That's when a small miracle happened. From over the sea of fangirls, I managed to spot a small figure with long, braided pink hair, a jacket hung over her arm. And the reason it was a miracle? It was my jacket! I'd recognize my embroidery failure anywhere! (I'd tried to put my name on it like with my jersey but I'm not great with a needle…I still like it anyway.)

It was my mystery girl holding it. It had to be! And that means…she goes to my school.

"Excuse me!" I called out to her, pardoning and apologizing my way out of the crowd, "Miss! You forgot your-"

Either she didn't hear me, or she was ignoring me so I actually ran up to her and grabbed her shoulder. She tensed up at the touch and I quickly removed my hand before she turned to me, gray eyes looking up, timidly, from the ground and meeting my golden before widening in recognition and surprise.

"You forgot your shoes!" I laughed as I remembered a fairy tale I used to love, "Miss Cinderella," I smiled brightly, "you forgot your shoes!" I quickly pulled them from my bag and held them out to her.

"I'm…" She spoke quietly, "…not Cinderella. You must have the wrong girl…" I couldn't help but grin. She thought I was really looking for someone with that name? She's so cute! Especially with her head titled in confusion like that.

"Cinderella's a fairy tale character. I just never got your name…I got your shoes though. So it's like when the prince goes to hunt her down to return the shoe she left behind!" I explained. "So what is your name? Grade? Phone number? Email?"

I realized how eager I was to find out more about this girl but I didn't realize how nervous she seemed to be until she gave me back my jacket and told me, "I'm not Cinderella. I'm…I'm nobody. You shouldn't talk to me." She ran away, quickly. I was surprised to see how fast she was but what was even more surprising was that she never took her shoes.

"Miss? You forgot your shoes again…" I called after her weakly before looking at the tattered old things, only then noticing the words written in black Sharpie across the side.

_Property of Haruko Ai: Do not touch._

And then, smaller, it read:

_If you can read this, you're too close._

So her name was Ai, huh…? Ai Haruko…Love spring child? What a cute name! I hope I see her again soon…

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**Thank you to one of my BFFs for her name! She was first I told about this story and she loved the cover so I asked her for a name so she wanted it to be something equally cute. Have to admit, I am proud of the cover, though I barely did any editing to make it...**

**And thank you to everyone who read chapters one and two! I love you all! I was't expecting such a good response to this fic! **

**See you next time, maybe? **


	3. Chapter 3

**This girl, who's normal in about every way, catches the eye of a famous idol, Kise Ryouta. It turns out that she is a second year at his high school and he tries to start a friendship with her, unaware of her status as the ugly duckling and his as the school prince. How will this romance play out?**

**Oh, and how old are Kise's sisters? Do they have names? I wanna mention them later but don't want to get everything wrong so if you know, please tell me. Thank you and sorry that my writing is so...blegh.**

* * *

**I'll reply to reviews here instead of PM(I almost never reply to those). I was surprised it got so many so fast yet again! You guys are so awesome! **

**Reply to reviews:**

**NeitherSaneNorInsane:**

Ai's her first name. Haruko's either her last name or middle name. It was my friend's idea to name her that. I thought it was so cute that I had to use it! And, well, you would be if you could, haha. Thank you for reviewing!

**BlackSakura-chi:**

Don't worry about sounding girly;It can be really adorable sometimes! And I'm glad you think so! Unintentional stalking!

And I actually got the idea for the words on her shoes from a picture of a boat...Haha, it's a pleasure to write it so you don't have to thank me! Though I've very touched that you did! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Xxdreamergirl95xX:**

Wah, thank you! :) I was obsessed with the idea for a while and decided to make it a fanfic instead of a original fiction story on Wattpad. And really? I was worried that he'd be OOC...And I'll do my best! :) Thank you for reviewing!

**invisible-gurl:**

Haha, I wanted to add some humor since this one will start kid of sad. But fluffy cuteness awaits! Thank you for reading and reviewing

**I own nothing except Ai!**

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**(Ai's PoV)**

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That blond haired boy's jacket was still hanging on the coat rack when I woke up.

_So it wasn't a dream..._I thought, almost sadly. At least nobody saw it so if we're classmates he won't be picked on for talking to me. I stared at the sloppy embroidery, trying to read the words. _Ki..._After that it was hard to read. _King? Ah, no, _I realized, _his last name's Kise...right? That's what he said..._

I sighed. I knew I had to return it. But it made me feel like I might just have a friend after all so I was a bit reluctant to. I got out of my bed and took it from the rack that hung over my closet door before leaving my cold, quiet room. Though photos once lined the halls of the hallway, with my parents away for work, we din't have to act like a family. So I took them down. When one of them returns, I'll have them back up and be smiling like they want me to be.

Until then, I don't mind the vast emptiness of this large house. I drifted through the rooms, quiet as a ghost, until I reached the kitchen. I made my coffee almost soundlessly as I poured my cereal and milk in the same fashion. I ate, the only sound in the still house being the sound of my spoon hitting the bottom of the bowl as I stirred it, watching the corn flakes spin around in the milk like they were dancing.

The phone rang and I got up to answer it, a bit surprised by the sound. "Hello...?" I answered quietly and gasped when I heard my mother's voice over the phone. I forced a smile, afraid she could hear if wasn't smiling. "Hello, Mama."

"Hey, Ai honey, I'm really sorry." I knew what was coming next. "But my trip's going to take longer than expected. Are you okay at home?"

I replied without a single crack in the false happiness in my voice, "I'm fine. Take as long as you need. After all your work is important, right?" She let out a sigh of relief, and I could almost mouth the next words with her.

"You're so responsible, Ai. I'm glad you grew up to be such a big girl." Every letter was like small knives into my heart but I didn't let it show. "By the way, has your father called yet?" After I whispered no, she puffed out an irritated sigh, "I swear, that man..."

"I have to get to school." I lied and hung up quickly. I really had a few minutes to myself before I had to leave but I hated it when my mother started talking about Dad. I'm not an idiot; I know they don't love each other anymore.

I've noticed the way he smells like perfume when he comes home late from work. And I noticed how it wasn't my mother's perfume but something more floral instead. I knew about his affairs. I knew that he wanted a divorce as much as Mama did.

I knew that her boss wasn't just her boss. I noticed the secretive glances and smiles, the small signs that a child shouldn't pick up on. I noticed the way she would come home late in the morning smelling like she'd been drinking all night. And I knew that the only reason she didn't end it with my father was that they had a child.

They had me.

I was the reason they were always so miserable but they would smile and treat me like a kid, like I couldn't possibly understand. They pretended to be in love for my sake, like I was an idiot. We _played _the role of a family. But we weren't one. We hadn't been for a long time.

I gulped down my bowl of cereal, a little at a time and went to change out of my long t-shirt and shorts and into my uniform. Instead of the blazer, I wore my own sweater. I put on my other pair of shoes, brown and worn out, and tied my hair into the long braids.

_I don't know why I let it get so long…_I thought to myself. _After all, it just make it easier for someone to pull it. _I tied the red ribbons instead of using a hairband and pinned my bangs from my eyes with hair clips. Finally I put on my false glasses, hiding my steely gray eyes, the eyes I hate.

When I looked at my reflection, I actually wanted to laugh. _They were right, you know. _I thought to myself as if I were speaking._ I really a- _My thoughts were cut short by the beeping of my alarm clock, telling me it was time to go.

I didn't rush. I took the jacket, just in case, and walked out the door. I blocked out all the noise, knowing what certain people thought of me. I blocked it all out but my concentration was broken by someone grabbing my shoulder.

I turned to look at them, raising my eyes from the ground, my friend who I frequently had collisions with, and was surprised by what I saw.

It was that boy. And he had my shoes.

_He must be a first year,_ I realized, _so he doesn't know. _He seemed to be looking for someone named Cinderella. I politely informed him that he had the wrong girl. "I'm…" I tilted my head in confusion, "…not Cinderella. You must have the wrong girl." For some reason, he was grinning which made me strangely uncomfortable.

"Cinderella's a fairy tale character." He explained, adding to my confusion. So he's looking for a fairy tale character? How odd…"I just never got your name…I got your shoes though. So it's like when the prince goes to hunt her down to return the shoe she left behind!" He's a prince? I feel like I'm not exactly understanding him…Or maybe I'm taking everything to seriously again. "So what is your name? Grade? Phone number? Email?"

When he asked those questions, my mouth suddenly felt dry. He had no idea who I was. He didn't know what I was. He had no idea what would happen if he got too friendly with me.

I found myself becoming nervous and maybe even scared as he smiled at me. I didn't want him to get hurt for this friendly conversation so I quickly replied, "I'm not Cinderella. I'm…I'm nobody. You shouldn't talk to me." I, more or less, threw his jacket back at him and ran away, long pink braids trailing behind me. It wasn't until I'd found sanctuary in the girl's bathroom that I realized it.

He still had my shoes!

I sighed, leaning over the sink as I continued to try to catch my breath. The mirror, dusted with makeup and covered with dried hairspray, caught my eye and I stared, long and hard at my refection. The thought I had this morning came back to me.

_I really am the Ugly Duckling, _I thought with a frown.

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**Thank you to one of my BFFs for her name! She was first I told about this story and she loved the cover so I asked her for a name so she wanted it to be something equally cute. Have to admit, I am proud of the cover, though I barely did any editing to make it...**

**And thank you to everyone who read chapters one and two! I love you all! I was't expecting such a good response to this fic! **

**See you next time, maybe? **


	4. Chapter 4

**This girl, who's normal in about every way, catches the eye of a famous idol, Kise Ryouta. It turns out that she is a second year at his high school and he tries to start a friendship with her, unaware of her status as the ugly duckling and his as the school prince. How will this romance play out?**

**Oh, and how old are Kise's sisters? Do they have names? I wanna mention them later but don't want to get everything wrong so if you know, please tell me. Thank you and sorry that my writing is so...blegh.**

* * *

**I'll reply to reviews here instead of PM(I almost never reply to those). **

**Reply to reviews:**

**invisible-gurl:**

That's what I was aiming for actually. And that's what'll make Ai the way she is until, well, Kise. I'm sorry it wasn't as cute last time cause it was a bit sad. I promise to make up for that in this one. Or the next one, cause this one's kinda silly...

**I own nothing except Ai!**

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**(Ai's PoV)**

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The first day of the school year wasn't what I expected.

First, that boy came up to me to return my shoes. I wasn't expecting it but I thought it was rather kind of him. I hated that he might not be able to make friends because of me but he was kind.

Then there was the usual homeroom class, like it was when I was a first year. The teacher introduced herself and went around the room, asking us to do the same. She didn't seem to notice me, like all my teachers. Nobody notices me so when someone does, I freeze up. But I was expecting all of his. It was no problem.

Then when I went to my first, real, class, I found out that the other gym teacher was absent. So, instead of spitting the court and doing separate introductions and stuff, the first years and the second years would have gym together. What I was most definitely not expecting out of all this was for us to go ahead and play dodge ball in our uniforms.

I sighed. I was athletic, surprisingly so, but I couldn't do anything in a skirt without embarrassment over having people see my...undergarments. On the bright side, the second years, my own teammates, would be working to get me out of the game first so I didn't have to worry about anybody seeing anything.

Sure enough, the first ball hit me on the back of the head. Rubbing the painful spot, I walked off the court and to the bleachers, shivering slightly. It was really cold with the doors open and I could almost smell the approaching rain.

"Eh?!" I heard a boy exclaim. "Haruko Aicchi!" _Huh?_ I raised my head to see what that was about and found myself looking at the energetic blond haired and golden eyed boy who was still holding my shoes. He waved his hands in the air, my shoes swinging around in his hands, and by the time I opened my mouth to tell him to pay attention to the game...

It was too late.

"Oww!" He was hit on the left side of his head. I almost giggled when he looked at the person who threw the ball at him. "Senpai, why?!" He looked at the boy with the spiky and busy eyebrows with sad eyes. Almost like a puppy...

The girls glared at my classmate. "Why'd you have to hit Kise-kun?!" One actually protested. "You could bruise him!"

"I'm okay, ladies. No need to worry." He grinned and looked at me. "Aicchi, save me a spot!" He hopped to his feet with my shoes still in his hands and sat next to me, smiling blindingly.

I wanted to ask how he knew my name but I also wanted to ask for my shoes back. Just as I was about to finally decide what to say, a foolish part of my brain reminded me, _He's a boy. You don't know how to talk to boys._

That sent my brain into a weird panic._ Ask for your shoes! Ask how he knows your name!_ I argued back and forth inside my own head. _Squawk like a monkey and fly away on your feet cause they didn't have the parts needed to repair your wings!_ Another part of my brain offered.

Wait what?!

He waited for my reply so I did the only seemingly sane and normal thing that popped into my head. I squawked or made some weird noise and rushed into the empty girl's locker room for an escape.

I scolded myself. _It seemed sane at the time._ My brain argued in protest. _Besides, after today, he'll get the hint..._

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**Kise's POV:**

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"Aicchi..." I felt like crying. "Why do you always run away from me...?" I held her shoes as I sniffled, all eyes on me for some reason.

_Am I really that scary?_

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**Silly Kise! Haha, next chapter will be better, I promise. Thank you all for reading so far! I'm really honored!**

**I hope I'll see you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I'm doing fics like this for the whole GOM and maybe other characters so...Next will be Midorima's. but that'll only be after this one's over. It'll be cute too but a bit more sad. And then Aiomine's which may be a bit more on the mature side but not quite adult.**

**So...here goes.**

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**I'll reply to reviews here instead of PM(I almost never reply to those). **

**Reply to reviews:**

**invisible-gurl:**

That's how I feel when I talk to 1) talk to a person who's not in my head 2) talk to someone who knows my name without me wearing a name tag 3)Talking to someone adorable 4) am around people in any situation at all.

Not too silly?

**I own nothing except Ai!**

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**(Kise's PoV)**

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I got the feeling that Aicchi didn't like me much.

I passed her in the halls after gym but since she was a second year student, she went upstairs. I called her name and she glanced at me before looking away quickly. The other third year girls waved and smiled at me like crazy but I was actually slightly hurt by the rejection I got from Ai so I didn't pay much attention to them and gave them a tiny smile instead.

But...I thought to myself, I guess miracles really do happen after all. After all, I had wanted to see her again and, though the odds didn't seem in my favor, I did. I even found out that we go to the same school! Though my old team had been called a generation of miracles before, I never really thought they happened so often. It made me happy…

Then my thoughts wandered to Kurokocchi. _He and Aicchi would get along really well! They're both quiet and cute! Not that I think of Kurokocchi like that but…Aicchi's…really cute. Her skin is really light and looks like it'd be really smooth and soft and her hair would look so cute if she put in pigtails instead of braids…And she's look really good in white…Like a bride._

_Aicchi as a bride?_ I paused to imagine that.

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**Kise's Mind Theater:**

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Nervousness flooded through me and I stared to fidget long before the music even started. My best man, Kurokocchi stared at me stoically, telling me to calm down in a whisper. I muttered along with the music, "Here comes the bride, all dressed in white…" It calmed me a little to do that. Finally, I turned slightly to see the light of my life slowly making her way down the alley, the front of her veil hiding her beautiful face.

Her pink hair was down and the wavy locks fell over her shoulders. In her hands were red roses, tied together by pink and golden ribbons. As she got closer and closer, I felt my heart pound more and more rapidly and I felt even more tongue tied. She was absolutely gorgeous...I couldn't believe that a girl like her would marry someone like me.

I've never been good in school, my ambitions are a bit too far-fetched at times and I tend to come across as a bit of an idiot…but asking Aicchi to marry me was the best idea I'd ever h-

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**Back to Reality:**

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"Hey! You're blocking the way!" The same brown haired senpai who hit me in dodge ball earlier glared at me as I turned to face him. I jumped and stood aside, a bit embarrassed. What was I thinking?! Aicchi and I getting married?! My face was on fire at the very thought! I can't believe I even imagined that! Still blushing, I made my way into my classroom and sat down, hiding my face until my heart calmed down a little more.

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**Ai's POV:**

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Some people think that being alone is a bad thing but I don't see how.

I'm alone at home and I don't have to listen to mom and dad fight. They're away on business, my mother attending medical seminars and my father attending meetings with the leaders of his company's trading partners. So I'm alone. And I'm as happy as I can be there. I'm not hurt that they left me alone. Being alone isn't bad.

I'm alone at school too. I had friends in elementary school, back when there were no worries or pain. But in middle school, it was like a game. Find a likable girl, convince her to dress herself up and become likable to others, not for being herself, but for who she is on the outside and surround her, claiming to be her friend.

They told me that being popular would make me happy. They said my parents would be happy about it. It was all a lie, a silly game, and I didn't see who it was hurting until it was too late. Since then, I stopped hating solitude. It was the way to keep other people safe, even if not myself. After all, the good people are the ones who give any and everything to protect others, right? So...I was also saving myself from burning in Hell.

"Hey, Ugly Duckling!" I knew, right away, that they meant me. I looked up from my desk, meeting their eyes even though they despised that. "What the hell were you doing, talking to Kise-Sama this morning?!" _Sama, huh? So he is a prince... _"What business would he have with you?!" I stared at them with a blank expression for a few moments.

"Shoes." I replied simply and quietly, my words not above a whisper. They became more irritated with me for answering and I flinched when one raised her hand. The ringleader, the birth with dull brown hair and eyes and a second skin of makeup leaned in close to me, the smell of her peppermint gum becoming what I thought of as the smell of hate.

"'Shoes' is all you're gonna say? Look here, you littl-" Just as she was about to threaten me, our teacher, who I expected to just sit by and watch, interrupted her.

"Miss, can I help you?" He smiled with open eyes, green orbs not showing the kind and gentle nature that his face did. "Or are you hoping your suspension will be dished out by a different teacher? First day or no, there will never be any of this behavior in my classroom. I recommend you remove yourself from Miss Haruko's face at once and take your seat, young lady." After she very reluctantly agreed to back away, my focus turned back to the top of my desk, not really staring at anything, really, but lost in thought. "Miss?"

I looked up again. He was a new teacher. That explains it. New people really don't know that I'm the Ugly Duckling who should be hated. Better me than someone else. "Yes?" I timidly replied.

"If they bother you again, remember to call a teacher." He smiled politely and class was soon underway. But I didn't listen. I never do. I learned a long time ago that putting my best effort into school still wasn't enough to fix it. Not to fix what had started between my parents a long time ago even though I was the reason it got worse every day.

Instead, I stared absentmindedly at my desk, wishing I could just disappear. But that was a foolish wish since it could never be true and I would forever be stuck like this, causing my family pain. I sighed, wondering if there was anything at all that would hel-

"Excuse me, sir!" I heard a cheery voice call from the classroom doorway. I also heard all of the other girls gasp as they whispered back and forth. "May I borrow Haruko Aicchi for a moment, Sensei?" I looked up from my desk and there he was, looking right at me with a friendly grin.

"The Prince?" I muttered, confused.

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**I hope I'll see you next time! Sorry it wasn't much good.**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I'm doing fics like this for the whole GOM and maybe other characters so...Next will be Midorima's and I'm doing Takao's right now. It's a slash fic. But that'll only be after this one's over. It'll be cute too but a bit more sad. And then Aiomine's which may be a bit more on the mature side but not quite adult.**

**So...here goes.**

**(This is late cause I've been sick for a long while. But when better to update than my birthday? The 26th of October!)**

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**It's been so long,sorry!**

**Reply to reviews:**

**McDreamy: That's what I hope to reveal in the next few chapters! I wanted to have someone tell Kise "Slow down, crazy, slow down." but decided not to in the end. Sorry for the long wait!**

**PouringRain-BlazingStorm: Sorry for the wait and thank you so much!**

**Guest: Aww, thank you! **

**I own nothing except Ai!**

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**(Ai's POV)**

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The teacher just nodded to me with a smile.

I felt like crying when I went out into the hallway because I knew I should warn that Kise boy that being near me would only hurt him. When my eyes met his though, I thought for a moment that maybe that didn't matter because he seemed really kind. I had to shake off that optimistic thought quickly when he started talking to me with a huge smile. He seemed too nice for me to watch him get bullied too.

"I wanted to return your shoes earlier but you keep running from me! Am I really that scary?" Something about his face reminded me of a puppy... "I didn't mean to scare you! I'm sorry!"

"You didn't. Just give me my shoes." I replied almost coldly. He started to hand them over but changed his mind, pulling his arm back instead.

"Why'd you run then?" He asked curiously.

"Why won't you give me back my shoes?" I countered.

"Cause I like you, Aicchi!" He smiled almost radiantly and I was shocked for a moment. "I mean, well, I just..." He stuttered, his cheeks turning red. "You remind me of my friend, Kurokocchi!He's really small, quiet and cute too! Not that I like him like that either! It's that you remind me of him so I think we could be really good friends, if you'd like..." He was almost as red as a strawberry now. _He was like a strawberry with withering yellow leaves instead of healthy green ones..._I thought for some reason. "So by saying I like you, I mean that I'd like you to be my frien-"

"I'm sorry." I cut him off. "I don't have friends. Not anymore anyway. I had a friend who got horribly hurt because she was around me. That's why I've decided to be alone and why I can't accept your offer of friendship." I sounded a little formal but at least I was straight to the point. "I hope you understand. So give me my shoes, please."

"Why do you have to be alone? And how'd they get hurt? Are you alright?" He seemed really concerned. I wished I could have a friend like him, who'd be concerned about me. His friend Kurokocchi is pretty lucky...

"I just told you! If I get close to somebody, they'll be hated by everyone else. So give up, please." I sighed and he held out a shoe to me. Just one. I looked at him in confusion. He just stared right back at me, like his mind was all made up. "Both shoes please..."

"I'm keeping one." I guess I looked really creeped out by that cause he quickly explained. "Not for anything weird! If we can't be friends now, I'll keep the shoe so I'll have a reason to talk to you. They won't think we're friends, if you're still worried about that, but I'll still have a chance. You'll keep being my Cinderella!" He grinned. "Okay?"

I bit down on my lip before letting out a long sigh. "Alright, I guess..." I gave up. He'd pester me until I gave in anyhow. "Just...don't expect me to be your friend, no matter how hard you try." He smiled warmly.

"I still have a chance with you though." After a few seconds, his face turned really red. He threw his hands up and waved them in front of his face in some odd sort of self defense. "T-That came out all wrong! I, um, I didn't mean, you know, have a _chance _with you! I just mean that, well, I still have a chance to be with you!" He gasped. "That also came out _really _too! Argh! Sorry!" He was redder than a cherry. It reminded me of the many "love-sick" boys who confessed to me in my first year and in middle school...Before I was labeled as a target.

"I got what you mean, Kise." I smiled at him and his face, though I didn't think it was possible, turned almost a whole shade darker. "Oh, and stop with that weird nickname. It's too friendly and, frankly, slightly creepy." He started to grin, possibly thinking he could call me just by my first name. "So it's Haruno-Senpai to you." His smile fell.

"Harunocchi-senpai?" He tried to compromise. I shook my head.

"No."

"Haruno-senpaicchi?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Give it up, Kise-kun."

I called him by his name by accident and when it left my lips, I realized how friendly it seemed. I felt my face heat up and I didn't let him say a single word more word to me. I rushed back into my class, with just one shoe. I heard him squeal, "Haruno Aicchi-senpai, you called me by my name! We are friends!" even when I closed the door. I ignored the curious looks of my teacher and the boys who were probably wondering why I was holding a shoe and the jealous glare of the girls who wanted to know just why the heck the ugly duckling had anything to with the prince of the school.

_Whatever. The idiot will give up soon._ _I'll just go back to the usual routine sooner or later._ I thought, taking my seat and refusing to look up from my desk.

I was completely wrong as it turns out.

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**Kise POV:**

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"So Kise," My manager grinned, "you seem pretty cheery! Did something happen at school?" I smiled even wider and decided to tell her about Aicchi.

"I met a really cute person!" I said cheerily. "She seemed pretty shy at first but she turned out to be more of a stern person when she feels annoyed...She's still super cute though. I met her yesterday, when I got out of the car all of a sudden. Someone decided to take her bag from her and make it so she couldn't reach it! How mean! Anyway, she tried to throw her shoes to get it down but she was losing hope until I showed up!" I stopped for breath.

"Okay..." She seemed a little surprised by how rapidly I was talking. "So...what happened then?"

"I gave her my jacket cause she looked chilled and I got her bag for her. I got her shoes too but she ran off without them, without telling me her name. I met her again today and learned her name! I called her Cinderella but she didn't seem to get it...Anyway, I tried to give her her shoes back but she avoided me until I tracked her back to her classroom." I grinned. "She seemed really stern and mean like she was trying to chase me off but I stood my ground! I followed her around all day trying to get her to be my friend. I've still got one of her shoes!"

Her face was sort of funny but it also made me feel a little bad for surprising her with my fast talking speed. "Kise...I feel sorry for that girl. You chased her around school all day...Poor thing." She shook her head. "It sounds like you were pretty excited to meet her agai-"

"I was!" I confirmed.

"But," she continued, "you probably scared her by doing that. Slow down a bit or she might start to dislike you." I sank back into my seat and stared out the window. _Is that why she doesn't want to be friends with me? She already dislikes me? _As we came to a stoplight, a girl caught my eye. She was beautiful, with waist-length, wavy light pink hair and a frilled white dress. She was holding flowers, tulips in her left hand and a pair of glasses in the other. She seemed sad...Staring at her sandals for a while before crossing the street to go down the road to the hospital, the way she looked down prevented me from seeing her face all that well.

The light turned and we continued moving but the feeling that I knew that girl was unshakable.

"Aicchi?"

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**Ai's POV:**

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"Haruno!" I looked over my shoulder on my way to the student's store to buy some lunch. It'd been only yesterday since that blond boy gave me one of my shoes back but I was already on guard. I'd encountered him twice today already. "I need to ask you for a favor!" The boy in the next class with the spiky eyebrows ran up to me. Of course, I actually knew him by first name but I can't help but stare at his eyebrows anyhow.

"Yukio-kun." His cheeks were slightly pink and I wondered why he had to talk to me at school. "You can call me by my first name." I told him. He was one of the few exceptions at school, one of the few who actually treated me well. We had a small history together since we've met up almost every afternoon for the past year. I tended to forget how easily he got flustered around girls.

"Ai, then..." He started to turn pink. "About today...I have basketball club trials so I can't go. Could you..." He trailed off and, knowing he was saddened to even think about it, I smiled reassuringly and kindly.

"She likes roses, right?" He nodded. "Pink roses then."

"Thanks..." He looked me in the eye and a look a confusion passed his face. "Hey, Haruno...Do you normally wear contacts?" My hand rose up and touched my glasses gently, only just then remembering that he's never seen me wear them. "Your hair looks different too..." I sighed and took the glasses off, showing him that they had no lenses. His look of confusion only evolved so I told him I'd explain later. "Alright then...Oh, come by the gym later and I'll give you money for the flowers!" With it all worked out, he rushed off and I went back to my previous business.

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**Today's my birthday btw. And it's been going pretty bad so far so you can cheer this girl up by leaving me reviews? Nah, you don't have to.**

**But I'd love to hear what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! It's been a while! Life is stressful and i'm trying really hard not to fall into depression so i might be slower than usual or faster than usual with updates. It depends on my level of motivation at the moment. But this has info about Ai's past! Yay! I'm going to focus on finishing this fic before the rest so expect a lot of updates. And Maybe some Kise seriousness (Which is shocking!). I'll do my best to make these enjoyable so I hope you guys, you know, enjoy it. **

**Also, I'm thinking of getting a friend to help me type these up or edit so these author notes might not be as annoying or you guys. Or gals. Or dragons. I need some sleep.**

**I own nothing except OCs with weird personalities who give me a headache from time to time. Have fun!**

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**Kise POV:**

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I was certain that was Aicchi. Even with my old teammates, I'd never met anyone else with pink hair. Teal, red, green, and purple, yeah but never pink. Even at the photoshoot, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Kise-kun! You need to focus!" The photographer, a nice woman with light brown hair scolded me. "This shoot is important!" She seemed anxious just to get this over with. "After this shoot is over we can all go home!"

"Ah…Sorry, Miss Kobayashi!" I quickly said. She was one of the best for sure. Until a few hours ago, she was doing a photobook shoot at an overseas location with a popular idol. I could understand she wanted to get home soon but I had this odd feeling it wasn't just so she could sleep. "Can we take a break? I swear I'll use it to clear my head!" She gave a sigh and waved her hand dismissively while she checked out the previous photos for ones we could use. Suddenly, I decided to ask, "Miss Kobayashi, do you have family waiting for you?"

She seemed surprised but a small smile rose on her face. "My adorable young daughter, yes." This time, it was my turn to be shocked! She was stern and even a little scary when she was focused so to think of her as a mother…! "Want to see a picture?" She offered excitedly.

"Yeah!" I said quickly and she put the very expensive camera down like it barely mattered at all, pulling out a tiny photo album from her back pocket.

"This was her when she was six! How precious!" She cooed at the little girl in the photo. She was grinning ear to ear with gray eyes sparkling with happiness, her light blond, shoulder length hair in pigtails. In her hands were clumps of mud she made into balls, looking very proud of herself. "And I have a few junior high ones too! She looked so nice in her Teiko uniform! Oh, the boys adored her. There was this one boy who would just pop up out of nowhere that she seemed a bit close to. I hoped they'd end up dating…I suppose not, though."

She showed me a picture of the same girl, much more grown up, a hint of laughter in her eyes and a smile on her lips. The girl's hair was longer now and it waved and curled as it reached down her back. She was still rather small but the makeup she was wearing made her look at least a bit older. Her nails, I could tell from the peace sign she made, were painted light pink. But something started to nag at me… She was wearing a familiar uniform…but that wasn't what it was.

Next to her was a girl in glasses. She was rather plain, unremarkable in comparison to this obviously popular girl, but they were obviously close. She was very pretty too when she smiled though. "That's Minami." Miss Koboyashi explained, like she knew what I was thinking. "She was such a nice girl…But there was this accident and…" Her smile fell.

"Is she okay?" I asked softly. She took a while to reply…but gave a small nod as she looked at the girl's smiling face with sadness in her eyes. "What happened?"

"I haven't seen that smile of hers in a while…but by a definition of sorts, yes, she's okay. See, my daughter and a couple of her friends had this trial of courage one day. Just a bunch of girls from school, you know, and Ai invited Minami along since they were best friends. They have been for years! But...Something happened. I'm not sure what. I just remember getting a call from Ai's father saying the girls were at the hospital.

"The other girls had a scape of two as well but the ones in the worst condition were Minami and Ai. My daughter had a fractured wrist and her face was cut and bleeding. As for Minami…she wouldn't wake up. Whatever happened, she's been in a coma ever since. The girls blame Ai for it, say she hurt her best friend but I know it's all crap. The fact that they're bullying her for it though is even worse. Nothing I do changes anything though."

I watched her happiness fade completely. "That girl has grown up too fast…Sometimes I feel like she doesn't really need me, you know? It breaks my heart..." She sighed. "It doesn't help that her father is a complete good for nothing! He may be a doctor but he sure doesn't have brains! I couldn't avoid going on that trip since it was for work but he's away with his coworkers to drink and have fun! He says it's work but you don't drunk-call someone because you're busy at work! I'm so sick of his immaturity!"

"You're still married?" I asked and she let out a grunt. "Sorry, I guess that was a bit too pers-" It clicked in my head. Teiko. An accident. A girl named Ai. A trial of courage after school hours…Could it be? "Is Kobayashi your maiden name?!" She nodded, taken back by my shout. "Then your legal name…"

"Haruno…Why?"

X

I walked home instead of taking a car with my manager. Miss Kobayashi seemed happy to go home to her daughter. To Ai Haruno…

My head hurt with all this new information, these suspicions. I knew about rumors that flew through Teiko about how a girl who caused an accident to be popular and about another girl who stopped coming to school. It wasn't exactly important to me before but now that I felt like it was closer to me than it seemed before, I wished I had listened more closely.

Before I knew it, my feet brought me to the very same place we used to buy ice cream after practice. Those days seemed so far away now…Especially since we all went our own ways after everything we went through together. As I lost myself in the past, the doors to the store opened.

"Kise-kun?" I knew that voice well enough to identify the speaker before my eyes spotted that mess of teal hair.

"Kurokocchi!" I leapt forward to shower my friend in my affection. _"There was this one boy who would just pop up out of nowhere that she seemed a bit close to. I hoped they'd end up dating…I suppose not, though." _I froze in mid-leap, Aicchi's mom's words ringing in my mind. I straightened myself out and decided to find out if there was really a connection. "Did...Did you know an upperclassman named Haruno?" I asked a bit awkwardly.

"Haruno-senpai?" He seemed a bit confused by both the question and my behavior. To my shock, his cheeks became slightly pink at the name. There was no mistaking it...He knew Aicchi.

"So she really did go to Teiko with us..." I muttered, a bit shocked. For some reason, I felt strange...Like my chest hurt or something. I couldn't even explain it to myself. It was like I found out something I didn't want to know.

But a part of me still wanted to know more.

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**(Ai's POV)**

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"Ai!" Someone called from right outside the door, undoing the locks and letting themselves in. I could tell who it was from the singsong voice and a small smile crept to my face. I loved my parents despite their occasional stupid, bad ideas like staying together when they weren't happy.

She'd called ahead of time to say that the work was getting done quicker than expected so the photos of a smiling family that seemed like a lie to me now were hanging on the walls where she wanted them.

"Welcome home." I greeted her with a smile and she tackled me with a hug, telling me how much she loved me and missed me. She showered me with forehead kisses and cuddled me like a little kid. She smelled like perfume and makeup. I tried not to show how much I hated that smell while she giggled and petted my hair.

A bunch of photos fell from her bag, scattering all over the floor once she let me go. "Aww, dang it." She whined childishly, clearly hyper. It only took one energy drink for her to get like this on most day but I was pretty sure she'd had more than that! I reached out to pick them up and she giggled. "I showed this model at work all these cute pictures of you! I knew you'd be embarrassed so I decided to make it even by showing you photos of him while he's still getting ready!"

I checked one out of curiosity...and froze. That blond hair, that stupid grin, that silver hoop in one ear..."He's..."

"Cute, right?" She grinned. "His name's-" I cut her off, already knowing.

"Kise Ryouta..."

Needless to say, my mother was surprised to hear me identify him. I'd never cared much about people like that before. _I met a famous person and didn't know it. _I thought, staring at a photo of him with his hair held back by a hairband while makeup artists worked on his face.

_A model stole my shoe so I'd talk to him! _I later realized with a bit of a laugh.

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**So there goes another chapter. Tell me your thoughts and I'll get another out asap! (I'm writing too many things at once!) Btw, I like writing Ai's mom! Were any of you expecting her to be Kise's photographer? I wasn't.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! Shocked I got this up so fast? So am I! I'm not doing well in school but this is a stress reliever so it might help. Anyway, I own nothing sides my oc and since I got to go to class now, this is goodbye! See you next time.**

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**Ai's POV:**

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I looked him up that night and found myself surprised by what I found. He went to that school, the school of posers and false accusations. More astonishing than that was learning that he was one of those boys so heavily discussed in those days: "The Generation of Miracles." My understanding was that they were one of the greatest middle school basketball teams in a couple decades but since I was in track and volleyball, it didn't really interest me much.

I had other concerns back then anyway…Then it hit me. He might know about it…That night in an empty school. Even though I wanted to pretend that I didn't care if he did or not, I felt the panic hit me. If he found out the truth, he might get hurt, popular or not.

He was annoying; he always called me a weird name, followed me everywhere, and acted overly familiar! All the same…I didn't want to see him hurt just because he wanted to be near me for whatever reason. _Why is he like that with me anyway? He said he wants to be friends but why?_ I wondered, scared for him. _Like today when I went to the gym…_

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**Earlier that day:**

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The gym was surprisingly empty even if I got there early. I rushed out of the classroom as soon as school ended, desperate to get there before the tryouts started. I didn't want to cause trouble for Yukio or interrupt anything so it seemed like the best thing to do. But there were a group of girls, the type who are interested in certain boys simply because they're good at the sport they're playing and would boost their popularity, were already there.

But they weren't there to check out the boys this time.

"Hey, you! Ugly Duckling!" Somehow, the nickname spread to this school at the start of my freshman year so a lot of people didn't know my really name. They also didn't know why I was a target for bullying…they simply knew that I was. "We saw you talking to him earlier! What makes you think you can just get close to that boy when he's clearly out of your league?!"

I expected this but I was still confused. "Spiky or blond?" I asked, wondering which of the obviously popular boys they were talking about. Kasamatsu Yukio wasn't good at talking to girls but he was, secretly, very popular.

"Huh?!" The leader gave me a cold look, thinking I was 'toying' with a bunch of different guys now. "Yukio of course! What gives you the right to talk with him like he's your friend?!" I also wanted to stand up for myself and say "Because he sorta IS my friend, you idiot!" but I kept my role in mind. I remembered why I put up with it and kept my mouth shut. "Somebody should teach you a lesson!" The bleached-blond haired girl growled at me.

Her friends snickered but I kept my silence, lowering my head so my face wouldn't give away my emotions. They didn't scare me…but I had to pretend anyway. One of her lackeys grabbed a bucket and ran to the sinks near the gym (for athletes who wash their face after exercising.) I knew what she was planning and braced myself for it.

I flinched when she threw the water on me; it was colder than I expected. It ran down from my bangs on to my face as I raised my head just slightly and I wanted, more than anything to hit that girl. One quick punch…

But I was a target. I needed to be a target; I chose to be their target after that night. I couldn't hit back no matter how much I wanted to. Eventually, they gave up, not wanting the boys to link them to this, and left me alone.

Yukio found me still standing in the same spot. "Haruno!" He yelled, shocked. "You're soaked! Are you okay?" I nodded.

"Don't…Don't worry about me anymore." I said softly. "You should get this by now. If everybody knows you're even slightly nice to me, they'll do the same to you." Maybe it was because I knew Yukio but…talking to him, a boy, didn't make me feel as shy or embarrassed as talking to Kise did. "Is it cause you're not as pretty?" I wondered aloud.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. You wanted me to get her flowers, right?" I held out my hand, palm up. "I'll make sure to pick out the nicest ones. I'll be late though since I need to get a change of clothes." I took my useless glasses off with my free hand. He gave me the money and I quickly shoved it in a damp pocket. "See you tomorrow." I said, already leaving. I pulled the hair ties from my braids and pulled my fingers through it.

My day was already bad enough without my hair drying oddly.

"I won't let everyone turn on him." I decided aloud. "He's the kind of person who tries to befriend a targeted girl no matter what…" I let out a sigh. I wanted a friend so badly but I knew it'd be impossible until after I graduated. Then, maybe, I could be free of the title of "Ugly Duckling."

It's funny…as a little girl, I loved that story. I cried when the duckling was cast away from the rest for looks alone. Mom couldn't get through the story until I was six because I couldn't stop crying! When she learned she was a swan, I cried out of happiness. She'd be loved by many now…like she deserved. At Teiko, I felt like that for sure…I was a bit plain until they…I tried to shake off those thoughts, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

"Ai? Do you want some cake?" My mother called from another room. I wiped at my eyes, making sure I wouldn't worry her and called back, "Yes please!"

Tomorrow I'd have to be horrible to Kise. It's the only way to get him to learn why you don't be friends with the school's most hated.

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"Aicchi Haruno-senpai!" He really didn't seem to want to give up that nickname for me. Hearing it tacked to my last name too was a bit embarrassing. It's not like Ai is a rare name, right? Anybody else could just assume he was talking to someone else if he didn't add the rest to it.

My ears were burning a little when I stopped so he could catch up to me. He just HAD to yell at me from the school gates while I was just about to go into the school. He had a googly smile on his face and I remembered what I had to do. _As annoying as it is…I might miss hearing his voice and him always calling me by that weird nickname…. _I caught myself after that odd thought. _Wait…What the heck am I thinking?! _My face felt a little bit hotter.

"Aicchi!" He ruffled my hair. "I met your mom! You were sooooo cute as a kid!" He laughed and my face only got hotter. "You never said that your mom was a photographer! It's so cool!" He didn't act like he knew but all the same…

"She told you, didn't she?" I asked coldly. He adverted his gaze almost guiltily, telling me all I needed to know. "Kise, for your own good, back off. I don't need friends if them being near me means them hurting." I turned and left, a heavy feeling in my chest.

You'd think that he'd give up then, right?

Wrong.

"I won't." He caught up to me. "I won't give up on trying to be close to you, Aicchi. Because from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were special. You can push me away all you want but I want to be close to you." He smiled…And I felt an odd beating in my chest. I put my hand over my heart, wondering what that was about while he watched me curiously.

"Do…Do as you wish." I said, suddenly formal. I guess…I was just embarrassed. And as for whatever that was with my heart…_Maybe I'm just coming down with something…_I thought, my ears burning.

I just gave up on pushing him away that day. Cause no matter how manty times I told him to stop and leave, he'd just keep trying to be friends with me.

"You weirdo." I smiled just a little. He looked at me, a little hurt.

"I'm a weirdo?" He asked a bit pathetically and I bit my lip to keep my smile from growing.

"I never said that was a bad thing." I said softly.

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**Soo...Do you think Ai's falling in luvvv? Hahahaha! Tell me what you think in reviews. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello! I own only my OCs!**

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**Ai's POV:**

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Like I expected, those fangirls weren't happy to see me talking with Kise. He laughed and smiled a lot for no real reason, almost beaming with, I guess, happiness or something. I felt a bit flustered while he talked but I refused to let it show, knowing the misunderstandings it could cause, but that same misunderstanding spread through the school anyway.

"You little…!" One of the girls kicked me in the hall, hitting me in the back of my knee. I fell over, my bag and everything inside it falling on the floor in a huge mess. Teachers were all in the staff room and none of the students would volunteer to help me…but I expected that. They weren't idiots. They knew what happened if you were nice to the girl the popular kids all hated. "First you get all friendly with Yukio and now you're after our Kise too?!" She shouted at me.

"I'm not after anybody." I muttered in reply, wishing I could kick myself too for not realizing that this would happen and thinking this could possibly be a good day after all.

"Then why were you two together today?!" She shrieked. The guys looked a bit annoyed with the girls getting like this over one boy but I could kind of see their viewpoint. _He's got a pretty face and all but he's an idiot through and through. A really pretty face…_

"Haruno!" Kasumatsu ran up to me with a look of worry on his face. "What happened?!" He started to gather my stuff for me while I got up and thought, trying to find an answer to that question. The girls, caught off guard, gawked as he helped me up.

"This and that…Annoying blonds, popular girls, and falling over." I said a bit absentmindedly. "Do you need anything?"

"Y-Yeah, actually. We're finishing up the trials today so I was wondering if you could do that favor for me again today. I know she'll be disappointed that it's not me but…" He smiled, thinking of the person who made the world to him.

"She understands and she loves you for still thinking of her." I relayed the message. "Also she wanted to make sure your father was bringing in the laundry before it rains. Has he?" I asked curiously and Kasumatsu, apparently no longer worried about me being upset over what happened, laughed with a nod.

"That reminds me…Haruno, I was asked to find a club ma-" He was cut off by the sound of someone running down the hall towards us, calling me by name. I knew who it was straight away.

"Aicchi!" He called, jumping forward to wrap his arms around my shoulders. "I just found out that first and second years have gym together today too! We have class together!" My face felt hot…I needed him to let go of me before any more weird rumors go flying around. Luckily…That's when my sort of friend kicked the taller, prettier boy.

"Hey, you're that new guy…"He seemed to realize only after Kise let go, crying that the kick really hurt. "Is he your boyfriend?" He asked.

The words took a few seconds to sink in for us.

"HUH?!" I exclaimed, embarrassed. "N-No! You've got it all wrong!" I protested while Kise blushed like a fair maiden or something like that.

"We're friends!" He smiled but it seemed a bit off somehow. "Aicchi's cute and all but I'm not looking for a girlfriend anyway. I just got overexcited and hugged her…That's all. But I had no idea she was dating you, senpai!" Something was up with Kise…

"Not in a million years." He and I answered together a bit coldly.

"Anyway, Haruno…" Kasumatsu handed me my bag with papers stuck messily inside. "I'll give you the money after school so stop by the gym before you go, alright?" I nodded. Kise stared as he left, seeming a bit odd. I didn't know him all that well but I could still tell that something was on his mind.

"Aicchi…you and Senpai aren't very close are you?" I shrugged. "He doesn't even call you by a nickname like I do…Doesn't that mean…"Somehow I actually expected something serious and got completely let down. "At this school I'm your number one friend?!" He seemed excited.

"I'm sorry for being worried about you." I muttered under my breath. I knew my face and my ears were probably pink from the tingling feeling but I didn't want him to know that he had this kind of effect on me.

X

This time, I had an extra uniform in my bag as I made my way to the gym, this time for class, so I didn't feel too worried about the same girls from yesterday. Luckily, they weren't there today! I went right into the gym…without looking where I was going.

"Woah!" I fell, tripping over a basketball. That's right; I tripped over a basketball. Lying flat on my face, I wondered if it was worth getting up…Everyone laughed at my sudden clumsiness and I could hear girls saying things like "Karma!" and "Serves her right!" though their giggles.

"Aicchi!" Kise yelled, rushing towards me. He kneeled over to check the damages. "Are you okay? Does your face hurt?" I started to sit up, rubbing my nose.

"Only a bit…" I met Kise's wide eyed gaze, his golden eyes full of surprise. "What is it?" I felt really embarrassed and his cheeks started turning a bright pink too. "S-Seriously what?" I looked down. It wasn't my gym outfit or anything. I checked my hair. It wasn't that he was trying to contain his laughter or anything. Then I realized.

My glasses had fallen off when I fell.

"Ah…" I realized the gig was up. I could obviously see without them… "My glasses…You see…Um…" Another boy came running over to us and before he could see us clearly, Kise took the black frames and put them back on me like he didn't want anyone else to see.

"Hey, Kise, you okay?" Kise nodded in response to the boy's question and got up, leaving me confused. I watched as he ran off to his team's side of the gym. When he turned around to face the second year's team, I could see that his face was a bit pink.

_He really is weird. _Kasumatsu helped me up, looking like he was going to bust with laughter any second. I glared at him, pushing that thing with Kise from my mind. That didn't stop him from silently shaking with laughter during the game of dodge-ball. Getting hit right away didn't help either…

Kise yelled an apology halfway across the gym to me because he accidentally hit me and I wondered, once again, which deity I offended to get stuck with him. Or if I offended them all. Kasumatsu joined me on the bench shortly after since his laughing kept him from dodging.

"I meant to ask this morning but..." The way he talked casually with me seemed to surprise a lot of people. After all, he usually had a ton of trouble talking to girls. "We need a manager for the boys' basketball team. Normally we'd ask people to fill out an application but I figured it'd be best to ask someone I know first…And if you're with us, those girls will have a harder time messing with you. Would you be interested in it?"

"Would practices go later than visiting hours?" He shook his head. "Okay then." I replied without really caring much. "By the way, I've never seen you laugh like that. Was it really all that funny?"

"You tripped on a _basketball_. Of course it was!" He looked like he was going to start laughing again so I lightly kicked him. "But that guy looking all flustered after seeing you without your glasses was funnier. Why do you wear those anyway?"

"So I look plain." I said simply. He didn't ask anything else after that and we both went quiet, watching the game unfold. My eyes kept straying from my team to Kise who actually seemed to not only enjoy this sort of stuff but also be good at it. Before Yukio pointed it out, I hadn't realized I was smiling while watching him enjoy playing dodge-ball like he was a little kid or something.

_Well, he is a childish idiot after all. _I thought, still smiling a little.

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**3****rd**** Person POV**

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"That stupid…How are we going to deal with her, senpai? She keeps getting close to Kise-sama and she's stringing along the captain of the basketball team. She doesn't know her place!" One girl whispered to her teammate, staring right at Ai Haruno from the bleachers on the other side, hate in her eyes. Sitting on the wrong side, an upperclassman laughed.

"The same way the Kise Ryouta fan club deals with all those annoying little brats who try to steal out prince away from us. It won't be the first time I made that bitch's life hell anyway." She flipped her dyed blond hair over her shoulder with a smirk. "She'll remember who made her into the Ugly Duckling to start with when I'm done with her."

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**Not supposed to be working on this in class so gotta go. Hope you like this!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So...Here we are. 10th chapter. Thank you to the guys who have stuck with me til now. I know I was really bad with not updating before but as you can tell, I'm working on it. With this fic at least. Only a few chapters to go actually. Maybe only six or seven more. I dunno. I'll probably add a special at the end. Who knows. It's graduation day at my high school today and my best friend/crush of 1 or 2 years is graduating today so I'm sorta just...Gone. Out of it. I dunno anymore. I don't really care about much of anything right now. Officially giving up on a lot of things today.**

**This fanfic and Persona 4 are not any of those things.**

**I own nothing and I hope you enjoy this. And to any of the seniors at my high school, happy graduation!**

**Ai's POV:**

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I headed for the hospital right after school. As always, I stopped by Mrs. Kasamatsu's room before visiting my best friend to give her the flowers her son wanted to give her and to give her my best wishes. It wasn't really anything major in her case. There were just some issues with her pregnancy that they wanted to monitor to make sure she'd be okay. She smiled brightly and rubbed her big baby bump, overjoyed to have a bit of company.

"I hope you're getting along well with my Yuki!" She said sweetly and I nodded with a polite smile. "You're such a sweet girl! It's a shame that you and he aren't a couple. The two of you would be so adorable!" I laughed it off.

"I think he likes someone else, ma'am." I replied just as sweetly. "An old childhood friend, I think." Yup…I knew who he liked.

"Then what about you, dear? Has anyone stolen your heart?' She had a twinkle in her eye and I couldn't help but blush. My mom asked the same thing sometimes but it was still embarrassing. The brown haired woman laughed. "Ah, to be young…" I politely excused myself and made my way to Minami's room.

And like always, she lay there like she was going to wake up any second. But I knew that by now there wasn't much hope. I still refused to give up on her though. She'd never give up on me either! So I just had to stay with her and believe that maybe one day, she'll open her eyes.

I pulled a chair up to her bed. Brushing her hair to the side, I kissed her on the forehead. "Hey, Mini." I said softly, feeling tears welling up. "Sleeping well?" No reply…"You know that boy I told you about before? He's sticking around and really wants to be my friend. Weird, huh?" I sat down and rested my head on the bed, listening to the steady beeping of the monitors. "He makes my chest feel weird and I get too bashful around him sometimes to scold him for being too clingy. I think I like having him as a friend. Even though I still have you…I'm sorry."

I sat there in silence for a while. "I miss you so much. You have no idea…My daddy's been pulling all the strings to keep you here because he knows I can't just give up but…Each day that does by makes me feel more and more terrified that I'll never see you smile again. I love your smiles…I loved seeing you happy even over the most insignificant things and getting excited over even the minor things in other's lives. You were my sister! I don't know how those girls couldn't see all of that beauty in you…"

The tears rolled down my cheeks and I rubbed at my eyes. "I'm so sorry…It's all my fault…" I started to break down like I did every day. I didn't like becoming a crying mess in that hospital and especially not in her room but I sometimes couldn't help it. Before I went in each day, I did a little magic trick to keep it together. It wasn't real magic but it helped for a little while.

I cried until my eyes felt raw and dozed off with my head on her bed. A nurse came to wake me up with a cup of hot chocolate. "Hey, honey…No change today, either…I could've sworn that her hand twitched the other day though so…Keep up hope." She spoke reassuringly. "After all, some people do wake up…"

I sipped at the sweet, hot drink and nodded, too tired to tell her that she really wasn't helping or that, because she was new, had no idea how long she'd been in this room. After two years…Some of her family even gave up hoping for a change.

"I'm going to head home…" I chugged the very hot and weirdly sweet hot chocolate down, wincing as it burned my tongue a little, regretted it, and grabbed my bag. "See you tomorrow, Mini."

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could still hear her protesting to the teasing nickname I gave her when we were in 5th grade…

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**Kise POV:**

* * *

I saw her glasses-less face…And I couldn't stop thinking about her. There was no question about a lot of things now. Ai-cchi really was the girl I saw before! Her face was even cuter without glasses! In fact it's like her glasses are keeping other people from seeing her cuteness! And something was wrong with me…

Normally, I love cute things and want to share them with the world but I didn't want anyone to see that glasses-less version of Aicchi…Wanting to shake the thoughts off by doing something other than thinking, I started to roll around on the floor for no real reason. Of course…My parents were looking at me oddly again.

They didn't say much but there were obviously worried about me. I smiled reassuringly to tell them I was okay and rolled myself to my room. Aicchi was still on my mind though…

_I actually hugged her before…_I thought suddenly occurred to me. _She smelled so nice and she was so tiny! _I grinned from ear to ear as I buried my face in a pillow. _She's so cute too! Man…I love her so much…_

I shot upright with a flaming hot face. "What?!" I yelled out loud. "There's no way! I mean, we're just friends! I mean, sure she's cute and she's like my dream girl but she's like Kurokocchi and I'm not in love with Kurokocchi! I'm not in love with Aicchi…." I fell back on my bed, embarrassed. "Right?"

_There's no way I'm in love with anyone…That'd be mean to my fans and it'd cause her problems too. So even if I was in love with her I'd make myself stop feeling that way! So even if I do like her, I also don't! _Satisfied, I started to drift off into sleep thinking that I had solved a big problem before it got out of control.

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**Next Day:**

* * *

Unfortunately, I couldn't face her at school in the morning. But get this! She said hello to me first today! She's giving into the friendship little by little. Even though I was happy, I got embarrassed and ran…I feel like the roles got reversed today…_Aw…I wish I could talk to her easily… _I thought, pouting a bit.

In addition to all that, I also had a surprising waiting when I got to basketball practice that day!

"Aicchi? What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised to see her standing next to the coach.

"I'm the manager now." She said in a less than enthusiastic tone and a blank face, no emotion showing through her eyes nor her expression. "And you'll politely address me as 'senpai'. We've been over this… Kise." She hesitated before using my name. The sound of her saying it had a bigger effect on my heart rate than I'd like to admit.

"Okay…Sorry, Haruno Aicchi-senpai."

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**See you guys next time.**


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